Staff Excellence: Summer Residential & Dining Services

For Summer Residential & Dining Services staff members, the end of the spring semester marks the start of some of the busiest months of the year, when around 20 full-time staff members and 100 student employees come together to welcome the thousands of conference and camp attendees who use Purdue’s residential and dining facilities between late May and early August.

“We have lots of people, lots of hands on deck and lots of things happening at once,” says Riley Kruger, associate director of summer residential and dining programs. “It’s much bigger than people probably realize, but it’s also pretty exciting that it all happens during a two-and-a half-month time span over the summer.”

On the docket this summer: 96 total adult and youth programs, ranging from research experiences to sports camps, which could bring up to 13,000 individuals to campus.

Preparing for their stay is a process that begins nearly a year in advance, when Kruger and her colleagues begin reaching out to program chairs, working to improve the inquiry process, and coordinate with the Facilities team to determine which buildings may or may not be available.

Once the portal opens and the program schedule begins taking shape, they pull other University Residences and Dining & Culinary employees into the mix. Assistant directors and clerks of residential services step in to assist with hiring and training student employees, selecting rooms in the residence halls, and finalizing contracts while residential dining directors prepare dining hall assignments for each program.

From the start, these employees make it their mission to provide excellent customer service, months before any of the attendees even step foot on campus.

“Success to us means being responsive, helpful and providing them with consistent service, which, of course, our partners are focused on, too,” Kruger says. “We want to be a resource for them and make everything go as smoothly as possible.”

When it comes time to welcome everyone, they are more than ready, putting their skills to work to create the best experience possible. Student workers facilitate check-ins while assistant directors of residential facilities oversee building operations and Building Services staff ready the rooms.

Even through the whirlwind of activity, on days when the group is hosting multiple programs, everyone knows where they should be and what they should be doing — and they do it flawlessly. It’s a job that requires forward-thinking, flexibility, and a deep understanding of and appreciation for customer service, especially when plans don’t pan out the way the team had imagined.

“When you’re working in customer service, things are always changing,” Kruger says. “Of course, we always love to have a plan and do everything we can to put our best foot forward. Our staff members do a fantastic job at rolling with the punches and working as a team to ultimately make the summer successful.”

Aside from the pride that comes with organizing successful programs each year, there’s another reward that comes with the job — watching students flourish. From February to August, Kruger and her colleagues get to witness students completely elevate their skill set as they learn how to write professional emails, create agendas and lead meetings.

This year, the team includes 80 student support staff and 18 student leaders. Though their roles vary, every single one plays an essential role in bringing these programs to life.

“They’re getting these useful skills that will help them be successful in whatever career path they choose post-graduation, and seeing them at the end of the summer compared to the beginning, I mean, it’s just night and day difference,” Kruger says. “Our student staff members make it possible for us to do what we do.”

As April creeps into May, Summer Residential & Dining Servies staff members are more than ready to put their hard work to the test, which includes launching a similar effort in Indianapolis, complete with a team that’s excited to showcase the university’s facilities in the capital city. And with this group at the helm, you can almost guarantee it’ll be another successful summer.

“It takes three or four different groups of staff members doing their part to ensure we’re successful, along with our students,” Kruger says. “They work very hard, and the work they do is amazing.”

About University Residences

University Residences is the official Purdue University department that is responsible for assigning and managing all University-owned housing facilities on the West Lafayette and Indianapolis campuses, including traditional residence halls, apartments and master-leased properties. More than just a place to sleep, University Residences offers numerous employment opportunities, clubs, programs, learning communities, cocurricular educational opportunities and retreats that serve as a catalyst for personal and professional growth. University Residences programming provides opportunities for students to build treasured relationships as well as leadership and professional skills that will last a lifetime.